Self Magazine | 19.01.2026 22:45
You’re going through something big, but you don’t speak up. You’re exhausted, but you white-knuckle through the day. Your friends offer help, but you brush it off. If this sounds familiar, you probably pride yourself for being self-sufficient and always tending to your own needs. But when you make a conscious choice to remain an island—sometimes even choosing to sink rather than seeking out help—you’re practicing an extreme form of self-reliance known as toxic independence. While not an official classification in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the trait could still have some undesired effects on your mental and emotional well-being.
